John Harrison Wylde

GoCrimson- Feb. 23, 2009

WAREHAM, Mass. - Long-time Harvard Baseball supporter and General Manager of the Wareham Gatemen John Wylde '60 has passed away from cancer of the liver. He passed at 4:30 a.m. at Tobey Hospital. A celebration of John's life will be held at Wickenden Chapel at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. at a date to be named later.

Wylde's passing leaves a void in the Harvard's baseball community as well as a much larger void in the famous Cape Cod Baseball League - where he was recently named to its Hall of Fame.

"John is the heartbeat of the Cape Cod Baseball League," said Harvard head coach Joe Walsh in an interview last spring. Walsh, who spent several seasons coaching in the prestigious summer league continued his praise of the former Harvard tennis player. "He is the most respected person in all of amateur baseball and loved by many. His passion for the game, players, and charitable organizations is unmatched in this country. We are all so proud of his accomplishments as well as the thumbprint he has left on the game and each community he has been part of. He has given a lifetime to all."

John was a longtime supporter of Harvard Athletics in general and Harvard Baseball in particular. He has been fixture at O'Donnell Field (scoring the game in his folding chair by the Harvard dugout) and it's no coincidence that numerous Crimson players have spent summers wearing the Wareham Gatemen uniform in the Cape League.

Wylde celebrated his 25th anniversary with the Wareham Gatemen this past summer.

Wylde moved to Wareham with his wife, Patty, in 1974 after living in Dover, Mass., and Hollywood and LaJolla, Calif. He was associated with the Wareham Gatemen since 1980, first as a fan, then becoming a sponsor in October, 1983. He served as President, Treasurer, and General Manager until his passing.

John attended Harvard University, where he participated in football and ice hockey and was also a member of the Crimson Varsity Tennis Team. He retired from Patterson, Wylde & Co., Inc., a Boston-based steamship agency, in 1994.

John taught tennis in the past, from serving as assistant pro in Maine to teaching for the Wareham Recreation Department with his wife, Patty.